


Terroir

by extremelyperturbed



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Light Drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-07-12 14:15:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7108570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/extremelyperturbed/pseuds/extremelyperturbed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Terroir:  the environmental conditions, especially soil and climate, in which grapes are grown and that give a wine its unique flavor and aroma</p><p>Vision asks Clint for a little advice after worrying that Wanda's appetite has been lacking.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Terroir

Vision noticed all the leftover food on Wanda's plate. He didn't believe in forcing anybody to eat what they didn't want but couldn't help but fret a little at her lack of overall appetite. She would often reassure him that it wasn't his cooking but that lately she had little overall desire for food. 

So, it was with great interest that he noted that she took a bite out of rye bread and pate Tony's cook had put out as snacks for everyone, looked at it and said, "It doesn't taste the same." 

"The same?" 

She shook her head. "Never mind."

***

"Vision?" said Clint as he saw Vision at the door. He was sitting in the library alone flipping through Tony's copy of The Complete Calvin and Hobbes boxset when the android came in.

"I have come to ask for your advice."

"So, you want me to play agony aunt?"

"Agony . . ." Truth be told, he could easily figure out what the term was but he knew people loved to show off what they knew.

"It's an old term for an advice columnist."

"Like Dan Savage?" He was referring to the sex advice column called Savage Love.

"I'm thinking more Dear Abby. What's your problem?" Clint briefly thought of himself as Lucy Van Pelt in Peanuts, selling advice for five cents. 

"I am currently in a relationship with Wanda as you know. Everything is going along swimingly."

"Ok."

"I want to make sure it keeps going along swimmingly. I'm asking because . . ."

"Because . . ."

"You are currently the only team member in a functioning long-term marriage," said Vision. He had seen Tony's marriage to Pepper implode and while he knew what NOT to do like give the person you love the one thing that could kill them if they ate it, he wanted to know what TO do.

"I think that picking the right person is key. Laura's an army brat. Her dad was in the army and both her parents' extended families were involved in the military. She knows what it's like to move around, start over again in a new neighborhood and have someone you love gone for long stretches at a time. She's also knows that if I don't tell her everything about a mission, it's not because I'm keeping secrets from her for shits and giggles. I don't think things would have worked long-term with someone without that background. I never downplayed or bullshitted about what a pain in the ass it would be to be with me. I'm lucky to have her." 

"And what do you do when you're together?"

"I don't nitpick the condition of the house or how the kids are. Depending on how long I'm gone, it takes time to get back in the swing of things. I don't use my work here to get out of doing chores when I am there. I make sure we have regular date nights. I mean, just because you live under the same roof doesn't mean that you're actually spending time together. When you can, get little things that you know she'll like. I think of things that she wants but keeps putting off buying for herself. Don't get something you think she should like. Get something you know she wants even if you don't get it. Do you want to take down notes?"

"No, I have it all securely memorized."

Clint was slightly weirded out by that even though he knew Vision wasn't going to do anything odd with it. "A relationship is like a garden. You plan ahead, you take care of the weeds and pests well before they take over the place, and you regularly water it and feed it. It's work, there's no way around that, but if you're careful, the two of you can collaborate to create a most beautiful thing."

"I am more than happy to do all that."

"I heard that you two have been . . . intimate." With other guys, Clint liked to joke to ease tensions and be a little coarser and maybe punch him in the shoulder to show manly approval but he didn't think that was the way to go with Vision. 

"Yes and she says she give me high marks in my performance." Vision looked rather proud of himself then looked a little sheepish. "Perhaps she would prefer to keep that a secret."

"Yeah, i think so but I won't say you told me. I'm thinking though that there's a specific reason you wanted this conversation." 

"She hasn't been eating much lately." 

"Is she sick . . ."

"No, there's nothing physical causing it but I am concerned."

"Stress and sadness tend to cut appetite no matter. If you want to get her to eat more, try to tempt her with something you know she loves and show that you're interested in listening to what's on her mind." 

"She should know I'm open to that."

Clint shrugged. "People need to be reminded." Clint got up and put the books away.

"Where are you going?" said Vision. 

"I'm going out to pick Laura up a copy of the box set. She loves the comic."

"You could order it online."

Clint shrugged. "She wants to support the independent bookstores. Besides, I want to pick the giftwrap." 

***

"Vision?" said Wanda as she walked into the kitchen. Outside of working with Bruce and Tony, he could usually be found there. 

"Yes, Wanda," said Vision, expectantly.

"Just saying hi. I haven't seen you for a few days. Tony and Bruce like to keep you busy."

"Yes, it was one of those projects where someone had to be awake. Also, I was searching."

"Searching?"

"For something I think you'll like and they just came in." He held out two packages. "Please open them."

"Thank you, Vision." She tore open the gift wrapping and was puzzled to find a brown loaf of bread then a small jar. Then she saw that the lettering was not English but Cyrillic. 

"I was remembering that you saying that the pate and the rye bread here didn't taste quite right. I was reminded of the phenomenon called terroir, how location affects the taste of wine. So I called Natasha who happened to be in the area to get some Sokovian pate and bread to be overnighted with dry ice here. I've scanned them so I know they haven't gone bad during delivery and . . . Oh, dear, you're crying. Have I   
done something wrong?"

"No, I just . . . I am just so touched."

"Oh, ah . . ." said Vision, not sure what to say next. 

She quickly took a knife and sliced two slices from the loaf, put a thick layer of the pate on both and then held out one to Vision. "I know you don't need to but I want you to," she said, trying to short circuit any objections. 

"It is indeed different," he said, breaking down the proportions of the chemicals and differences in texture from the previous one he had tasted and put away the information in case the supplier folded. He noticed that there was no pause in her consumption of the food. He found the bread unusually dense and the spicing unusual. "Would you like to tell me more about other foods you're fond of?" he said. 

"Yeah, I'd like that."

The End

**Author's Note:**

> It's odd in a sense for me to write about this pairing in that my favorite Marvel cinema pairing is Stucky though I have some fondness for Pepperony. The most puzzling ship is Natasha & Bruce, which just made me "What? Where did that come from?" 
> 
> I'm a strong believer in not demanding people clean their plate. 
> 
> As stated in the fic, she's not physically ill but it's been known for homesickness and grief to pop unexpectedly from time to time.
> 
> The things Clint says about Laura is not canon but I do notice that people in the military do deal with the things Clint talks about: absences, moving around and readjusting when the person comes back. So I figure it would make more sense for her to have this background than be a regular civilian.
> 
> I remember Tony giving Pepper strawberries in Iron Man 2, the one thing that she's deathly allergic to because he knew it had special meaning to her but forgot it had special negative meaning.
> 
> I had Clint choose the Calvin & Hobbes box set because I didn't want to have him give a cliche gift and wanted something that is both quirky yet highly regarded. http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Calvin-Hobbes-BOX-SET/dp/1449433251 
> 
> As for why I chose those two foods, I remember someone from Eastern Europe saying that those two things really didn't taste the same in the States. Rye bread is often not 100% rye. I once ate a bakery's 100% rye bread and it was very dark, dense and earthy. Also while the capital city of Sovokia was damaged, I am going with the assumption that the rest of the country would be functional. Also it's noted that Cyrillic script was used in the city so I went with that. 
> 
> And one more thing. I looked up chicken paprikash and it's humorous to me how much disagreement there is among commenters about how to make it. http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018068-chicken-paprikash


End file.
